Thbead mechanism foe knitting machines



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(No Model.)

H.`SWINGLBHURST. THIGKBNING THREAD MECHANISM PoR KNITTING MACHINES.

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(No Model.)

H. SWINGLEHURST. THIGKENING THREAD MBGHANISM POR KNITTING MACHINES. No.459,260. Patented Sept. 8, 1891.

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Wo'rwsse IMI/awr: )/MZAM a f Hari' 15W Za/ums wfm Y my ens ca., mmournoqwnsnm UNITED STATES PATENT OEElcE.

HARRY SIVINGLEHURST, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERTPILLING AND RICHARD MADELEY, OF SAME PLACE.

THICKENING-THREAD IVIECHANISM FOR KNlTTlNG-MAGHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 459,260, dated September8, 1891.

Application led April 13, 1891. Serial No. 388,646. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, HARRY SWiNGLEHURsT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in rPhCkenng-'Ihread Mechanism for Knitting-Machines, ofwhich the following' is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for feeding an extra thread to aknitting-machine for 1o the purpose of thickening` or re-enforcing thefabric at intervals-for instance, in the pockets or pouches formed upona knitted tube for the purpose of formingthe heels and toes ofstockings-one object of my invention being I5 to insure such aconnection of the free end of the re-enforoingthread with the mainknittingthread as will in all cases result in the proper drawing of saidreenl`orcingthread into the machine with the main thread, and afurther2O object being to provide for the use of two threads which servealternately as main knitting-thread and as 11e-enforcing thread. Theseobjects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a plan ofsufficient of an extrathread device for knitting-machines to illustratemy invention. Fig. 2 is an end View of part of the device. Figs. 3 and 3are pergo spective views of parts ofthe saine, and Fig. 4 is a diagramillustrating` the operation of the device.

A represents an arin or bracket which carries thehead A', in which ismountedthe cam- 3 5 cylinder of the machine, as usual, theneedlecylinder not being shown.

From the rear end of the bracket A rises a standard B, on which is anadjustable sleeve B', having projecting arms D E and a frame F.

To bearings in the arm D and frame F is adapted a hollow shaft a, onwhich is a carrier l), provided with pins b for the reception of spools,cops, or bobbins G G', which supply the yarn to the needles of theknittingmachines, the threads or strands passing through suitableguide-eyes (l at the outer end of the arm E, which constitutes what ishereinafter termed the main knitting thread guide of the machine.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l, the yarn from thespool G is the main knitting-thread and the yarn from the spool G is theextra or re-enforcing thread, lthe latter yarn being held in aspring-clamp f and being discontinued some distance beyond thesame,wherein the previous operation of the machine it has been cut bythe action of a pair of shears IIorothercuttingorbreaking device, suchas is commonly used in knitting-machines to which myinvention relates.6c

The hollow shaft a of the spool-carrier has a pulley g, which receives abelt g from a pulley g2 on a short counter-shaft below the shaft a, saidcounter-shaft also having another pulley 7L, which receives adriving-belt 65 7L from any available pulley of the knittingmachine. Theshaft a also has a spur-pinion c', which meshes with a spur-wheeli,mounted on a stud i2 on the frame F, and this spurwheel is normallylocked by the engagement 7o of a bolt j with a lug j on the face of saidwheel, said boltj being free lo turn and also to slide longitudinally inbearings in the frame F, and being acted upon by a spring ji, whichtends both to turn the shaft in the direction of the arrow and also toproject it toward the wheel fil. The belt g slips on the pulley g, andthus constantly tends to turnthe shaft (c and its spool-carrier l),which tendency is resisted, however, by reason of the 8o locking of thespur-wheel i.

The bolt j has a pin m, which engages with a cam-block m on the frame F.I-Ience when said bolt is partially turned in its bearings in adirection the reverse of that indicated by the arrow it will, under theinfluence of said cam-block, be withdrawn from engagement with the lugon the spur-wheel fi', and will therefore permit said wheel to turn, soas to provide for the rotation of the spool-carrier 9o l). As the end ofthe yarn from the spool G is held by the clip j", the effect of thisrotation will be to wrap the yarn from the spool G around the yarn fromthe spool G', as shown in Fig. et, so that the strand from the spool G,9 5 as it is drawn into the machine, will carry with it the strand fromthe spool G', thereby re-enforcing or thickening the fabric which isbeing produced. The bolt .7' is preferably so operated as to be releasedimmediately IOO after being withdrawn, so that it will again engage withthe lug j on the spur-wheel t" when said wheel has made one turn, andit' the number of teeth in the wheel il and pinion t' are soproportioned that this one turn of the wheel 'i' represents an evennumber of turns of the spool-carrier b the yarn from the spool G willalways constitute the main knittingthread and that from the spool G theextra or re-enforcing thread, which will be cut Off by the shears Hafter the proper length has been drawn into the machine, it beingunderstood that the shears are opened before the spool-carrier isrotated and the extra thread fed into the machine. It', however, thenumber of teeth in the wheel i and pinion i are so proportioned that thespool-carrier stops on a half-turn, the spools G G change placesalternately-that is to say, if during one period of operation the spoolG is on the outside and supplies the main knitting-thread, as in Fig. 1,during the next period of operation itwill be on the inside, as in Fig.et, and will supply the extra or re-enforcing thread, the spool G beingthen on the outside and supplying the main knitting-thread, so that,supposing the yarns on the' spools G G respectively, are blue and Whiteand that the blue yarn constituted the main knittingthread during theformation of the leg of the stocking, both threads will be drawn induring the formation of the heel in blue and white; but when the heel iscompleted the blue thread will be severed and the White will constitutethe main knitting-thread for the formation of the foot, and when theposition of the spools is again changed both blue and White will be fedin to form the mixed toe, leaving the blue spool in position to supplythe main knitting-thread for the leg of the succeeding stocking. Vhenthis is not desired, however, the carrier may have but one spool, which,when in its position of rest, always occupies the position of the spoolG', Fig. l, the main knitting-thread in this case being drawn throughthe hollow shaft d of the carrier, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Various means may be employed for operating the shears or other threadbreaker or cutter and for actuating the locking-bolt j at the propertime, and my invention is not limited to such actuating devices; but inthe drawings I have shown certain devices whereby these results can beattained in connection with a machine of the character set forth inanother application filed by me and bearing even date herewith, SerialNo. 388,647. In 'this case I represents the shaft of theclutch-operating device, which is actuated at the proper times so as toshift the clutchA member from the rotating device of the machine to thereciprocating device of the same, this shaft having a projecting lingermwhich is engaged by a trip-lever J on the frame of the machine to holdthe clutch in engagement with the reciprocating device. This trip-leveris connected by a rod p to a lever p', hung to a standard K, and to saidlever p is connected a rod p2, bent at the upper end, as shown in Fig.3, so as to engage with the handle of one of the blades of the shearsI-I. Hence when the trip-lever moves into engagement with the finger '1tthe shears will be opened, and when at the proper time in the operationof the machine said trip-lever is acted upon so as to release the lingern the shears will be closed by the action of a spring p4, which connectsthe bows of the shears and tends to draw them together, and at the sametime the projecting finger p3 at the upper end of the rod p2 will bearupon the tension-plate f and cause the latter to firmly nip and retainthe cut end of the yarn beneath the same. This pressure-finger may insome cases entirely take the place of the shears by imparting suchpressure to the friction-plate f as tol prevent any movement of the yarnbeneath the same, so that said yarn will be broken at some point betweenthe friction-plate and the head of the machine, the yarn, however, being allowed to pass freely beneath the frictionplate again when the.finger p3 is lifted from said plate.

On the shaft t' is a head I', which has an arm s, and to the outer endof the latter is hung the lower end of a rod s', which passes through anopening in a guide-stud S22, projecting from the standard K, the upperend of said rod S' being bent downward, as at s2, and hooked, as at s3,so as to project beneath a beveled catch-plate t at the end of thelocking-boltj. W'hen the clutch-operating shaft I therefore is moved, soas to throw the clutch member into engagement with the reciprocatingdevice of the machine, the rod s is lifted and the hooked end of thesame turns the catch-plate t of the locking-bolt until it slips fromunder the same, this turn-ing movement being sufficient to cause the camm to act on the pin m and Withdraw the locking-bolt from engagement withthe lug on the spur-wheel i". As soon, however, as the hooked end of therod s has slipped from under the plate t the locking-bolt is restoredtoits original position under the influence of the spring 92, so as tobe in position to again lock the wheel t when the same has completed itsrevolution. On the downward movement of the rod s the hooked end of thesame strikes the upper beveled face of the catch-plate t and isdeflected until it can spring beneath said plate and again engage withthe same.

It will be evident that as the main knittingthread and the extra orre-enforcing thread are in my machine twisted together the drawing ofsaid re-enforcing thread into the machine with the main thread isrendered much more certain than when the two threads are simply laidside by side in contact with each other. Hence I regard this twistingdevice as one of the main features of my invention, the minor feature ofadvantage being the facility which it affords for employing first onethread and then the other as the main knit- IIO ting-thread, so as toprovide for the formation of stockings with legs and feet of differentcolors.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters latentl. The combination of the main-thread guide of aknitting-machine with a carrier adapted to support a spool carrying aneXtra or ire-enforcing thread, means for rotating said carrier so as totwist together the re-en forcing thread and the main knitting-thread,and a retainer for the free end of said re-enforcing thread,substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the n'iain-thread guide of a knitting-machine, acarrier adapted to support a spool carrying a re-enforcing thread, meansfor rotating said carrier so as to twist together the re-enforcingthread and the main threa-d, a retainer for the free end of there-enforcing thread, and a severing device for said rei-enforcingthread, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the main thread guide of a knitting-machine with acarrier for two spools, one for the main knittingw thread and the otherfor the 11e-enforcing thread, a' retainer for the free end of saidreent'orcing thread, and means for rotating the carrier so as to twistthe threads together, substantially as specified.

4. rlhe combination of the main-thread guide of a knitting-machine witha carrier for two spools, one for the main knittingthread and the otherfor a re enforcing thread, a retainer for the free end of saidreenforcing thread, and means for rotating the carrier so as to twistthe threads together, and a stop for arresting the movement of thecarrier after it has made a certain ndmberof 4o full turns and ahalf-turn, whereby the position of the spools is changed and the threadsalternately serve as main knitting-threads and as re-cnforcing threads,substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the threadguide of a knitting-machine, thespool-holder and its shaft, a frictional rotating device for said shaft,a pinion on the shaft, a spur-wheel driven by said pinion, and means forlocking said spur-wheel and for releasing the same at intervals,substantially as specified,

6. The combination of the spool-carrier and its shaft, the frictionaldriving device for said shaft, a pinion on the shaft, a spur-wheelmeshing with said pinion, a lockingsbolt for said spur-wheel, a camwhereby said lockingbolt is withdrawn longitudinally when partiallyturned, and means for imparting such partial turning movement to thelocking-bolt, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the main knittingthread guide of the machine, thecarrier adapt-- ed to support a spool carrying a re-enforcing thread,Ameans for rotating the carrier so as to twist the threads together, africtional retainer for the free end of the reenforcing thread, a fingerfor pressing upon said retainer and increasing the tension of the same,and means for operating said finger at intervals, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HARRY SWINGLEHURST.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM D. CONNER, HARRY SMITH.

